This year's Xue Cen is still a little young and gentle.
He pays homage to General Yu in front of the steps and chats with his good friend Yu Huanchen, but his eyes always fly to the corridor unconsciously, following that slender and charming figure.
"What are you looking at?"
Yu Huanchen followed his line of sight, then hooked Xue Cen's shoulder with one arm and shook it deliberately, jokingly saying, "I said, you married my eldest sister; why do you only see the second sister?"
"You boy, you can't eat what's in the bowl and look at what's in the pot! "
"Yu Huanchen!"
Yu Xinyi hated others making jokes about it the most, so he slapped the stone table angrily and snorted coldly, "Try talking nonsense again? Who married that nerd?"
Xue Cen had a good temper, shook his head with a smile, and broke away from Yu Huanchen's claws.
He touched the sleeve robe subconsciously and called forward softly: "Second sister."
Yu Lingxi, who was pouring tea, turned around, smiled a little, and nodded in return: "Brother Cen."
"Second sister, please take a step to talk." Xue Cen made a "please" gesture to the side with the warm light of winter in his eyes.
Yu's mansion was open-minded from top to bottom, and there were not as many rules and regulations as in others' houses, so Yu Lingxi nodded and walked with him to the gate of Yuedong magnanimously.
"This is for the second younger sister."
Xue Cen took out a small and exquisite gift box from his sleeve and handed it to Yu Lingxi solemnly.
At this time, in the hall
Madam Yu looked through the window to the door of the Moon Cave in the courtyard and slowed down the tea-making.
Then she gently pushed General Tuyu's arm and signaled softly, "Husband, do you feel that Xue Erlang and my family are getting closer?"
General Yu blew on the powdered tea and looked up the window.
He laughed and didn't care too much and said, "The Xue family is the head of civil servants, and my Yu mansion is the most military general. The two families are family friends. The children often walk around and play. It's normal to have a better relationship."
"That being said, the children have grown up after all, not compared to their childhood."
Madam Yu took a look at her careless husband and said, "You forgot, when the Xue family made a verbal engagement with us, although they didn't specify which daughter of our family they would marry, but because Sui Sui was not yet born at that time, everyone tacitly agreed to be married to us. Xin Yi. I was afraid that if Sui Sui and Xue Erlang got too close, they would cause trouble for the two daughters."
"Madam is too worried."
General Yu put down the teacup and patted Mrs. Yu's still soft hand reassuringly. "Both daughters are the heart of my Yu Yuan, and the Xue family will not lose if they marry. As long as the children like each other and the two are happy, it is enough."
"That's right, I think Xin Yi doesn't seem to have that kind of thought for Xue Erlang if Sui Sui likes it."
After thinking about it, Mrs. Yu said, "Forget it; I'll ask my daughter what she thinks later and what the Xue family thinks, and I'll ask my husband to inquire more about it."
General Yu agreed.
Under the door of the moon cave, the sun casts a lazy, long shadow.
When I opened the gift box, I saw that it was an extremely beautifully carved white jade pen.
Bamboo brushes are judged by lacquer color, while jade brushes are judged by carvers. Such fine jade carving brushes can be seen as coming from the hands of famous masters, which took a lot of effort.
"Brother Cen, this is too precious." Yu Lingxi's first reaction was to refuse.
Xue Cen's posture remained unchanged, and he said in a gentle voice: "But I got it by chance. I remembered that my second sister is good at calligraphy and painting, so I bought it on my initiative. If my second sister doesn't like it, it means that I have mishandled things."
Having said that, it would be unreasonable to refuse.
Yu Lingxi had no choice but to take it with both hands and say with a smile: "It's disrespectful; thank you, Brother Cen."
"It's fine if you like it." Xue Cen looked into her smiling eyes; his ears were slightly red.
But in the end, there was a trace of loneliness in my heart.
The pretty girl in front of him is still close and sincere to him, but she is not as admiring as before, and the shy pink is no longer on her small face.
I haven't seen her for three months. She seems to have grown up a lot and is calmer, more beautiful, and...more distant.
Not only Xue Cen, but Yu Xinyi also noticed something was wrong.
"Sui Sui, did Xue Cen make you unhappy?" After returning to the room, the sisters were reminiscing, and Yu Xinyi asked.
Yu Lingxi rolled her almond eyes: "Why did my sister say that?"
With her ponytail tied high, Yu Xinyi untied her saber sat behind the desk, and said with a sassy smile, "Didn't you always run after Xue Cen like a little tail? Today you were so quiet, and you left without saying a word." ."
"Really?" Yu Lingxi looked surprised. "I used to always run after him."
Yu Xinyi smiled: "Blind people can see that kind of admiration at the beginning of love."
Yu Lingxi recalled it for a while, but the memory of Xue Cen's youth in her previous life seemed to be covered by a layer of fog, making it difficult to distinguish.
What she remembered was the night when she was alone and helpless and was forced to paint her eyebrows and dress up as a sacrifice to the palace. Only Xue Cen rushed over on horseback and begged for her all night in the heavy rain outside the Prince Regent's palace.
It was after the incident at Zhao's birthday banquet that Xue Cen took on all the responsibilities in prison, but two of his fingers were broken.
Yu Lingxi will always accept his love.
Seeing the gentle Xue Cen again, Yu Lingxi was naturally happy, as if the debt and guilt that had tortured her for so long had instantly healed at this moment.
But other than that, she has no other charming feelings.
That feeling is like...
Yu Lingxi turned her attention to the pepper powder and refreshments on the table and came up with an inappropriate metaphor: it was like, after experiencing the pungent pepper powder, it was difficult to taste the taste of porridge.
I don't know when Xue Cen began to exist like an older brother in her heart.
"What are you thinking about?" Yu Xinyi leaned forward and recalled her thoughts.
Yu Lingxi came back to her senses, put the precious white jade purple pen on the pen holder, blinked, and said with a smile: "I'm thinking about when Brother Cen will become my brother-in-law."
"A fight!"
Yu Xinyi squeezed her younger sister's cheeks and snorted coldly, "That nerd is all about you; I don't want it! Take it!"
...
This year, the capital was bitterly cold, and there was another heavy snow at the end of the year.
On New Year's Eve, the Yu Mansion was decorated with lanterns and festoons, bright as day. The warm light of the lanterns was projected on the snowy landscape in the courtyard, making it unbelievably lively.
On New Year's Eve, the ancestors are worshipped, followed by a vigil and drinking Tusu wine.
Yu Huanchen brought a large stack of New Year greeting cards from the housekeeper and said with a smile, "This year's cards are a lot more than previous years, and many of them are greeting cards from the children of aristocratic families in Beijing. Aged, don't you want to pick and choose?"
Yu Lingxi never expected that she would help the Yu family escape the disaster of the Northern Expedition, but she did not escape the wave of marriage proposals from Shiwu Jiji.
She twisted her sleeves and added two spoonfuls of pepper powder to the Tusu wine, and said calmly, "Don't look at it."
General Yu spoke in the upper seat, coaxing: "It's a rule for women to discuss marriage when they are old, so it's okay for a good girl to see."
Yu Huanchen made jokes on the sidelines: "Father, my little sister might have something to belong to!"
Yu Lingxi also smiled, her crooked eyes sparkling with lights. "Father, Aunt, the elder brother is not married; how can there be any reason for the younger sister to marry first? Or wait until the elder brother marries a girl from the Su family, then discuss our affairs."
"A good girl is right."
General Yu's offensive was successfully diverted, and then his face sank, and he glared at his son and said, "Go to Su's house next year and arrange your marriage earlier."
Yu Huanchen, like an eggplant beaten by frost, glanced at Yaomei resentfully and died down.
Yu Xinyi gloated and gave her sister a thumbs up.
While her family was worrying about Yu Huanchen's marriage, Yu Lingxi sneaked out to get some air outside.
After drinking a lot of wine at night, her cheeks were hot, and she was eager to cool off, so she walked slowly along the Chaoshou corridor, letting the cold night wind with ice and snow blow away the heat from her body.
I don't know how long I walked; the lights gradually faded, and the snow on the eaves showed a dark blue arc in the night.
Yu Lingxi heard the sound of snow sweeping, stopped and looked around, and saw a tall and thin figure holding on to the broom in the dark ahead, cleaning the snow in the backyard alone.
Tonight, on New Year's Eve, all the servants and attendants put on new clothes and gathered in the front yard to receive rewards while waiting for the child, so the backyard was left unattended.
Except for this snow sweeper.
Yu Lingxi was fond of it, so he touched the small purse he was carrying and said to the walnut carrying the lantern: "The one who celebrates the Chinese New Year is still sweeping snow, but he is a hardworking person. Go and invite him to come and receive the reward."
Hu Tao said "Hey" and raised the lantern and called forward: "The one who sweeps the snow, the lady called you over!"
The snow-sweeping figure paused and turned around.
Yu Lingxi was startled, and the words "Ning Yin" came to her lips, and she almost blurted out.
Thinking that he should not be recognized by himself in this life, he swallowed the name on his lips and asked, "Are you healed? What are you doing here?"
After finishing speaking, he looked at Hu Tao again: "Someone squeezed him out and forced him to work?"
Hu Tao shook her head, also with a dazed look on her face.
"I do it myself."
Ning Yin wore a dark green martial robe and stood upright as if what she was holding was not a broom but a long sword that could determine life and death.
He lowered his eyes, but without the slightest cowardice, he said in a low voice: "The road is slippery in snowy weather; I'm afraid Miss will fall."
This road was indeed the only way for Yu Lingxi to return to the wing.
Because it is paved with bluestone, it is very slippery when the snow freezes.
Yu Lingxi stared at the bluestone path covered with a thin layer of ice, speechless, for a while.
Ning Yin misunderstood her meaning, put the broom by the wall, and came slowly.
The shadows faded from his body layer by layer, and the warm light of the octagonal gauze lamp under the corridor illuminated his young and handsome face.
Under Yu Lingxi's puzzled gaze, he raised his robe and half knelt in a submissive posture, then crossed his fingers, palms facing up, and placed his hands on the frozen bluestone.
"What are you doing?" Yu Lingxi asked.
Ning Yin raised her head, with her bright scarlet skirt reflected in her eyes, and said calmly: "The stone road is slippery; miss, please step on my palm."
He spoke so calmly, and there was no trace of humiliation in his dark eyes, as if he were born to be so.
Out of nowhere, Yu Lingxi frowned and said, "I seem to have said that you are not allowed to bring the way of humiliating and commanding people to my mansion."
Ning Yin realized that she was angry, glanced at her, and quickly lowered her eyes again.
The fingers resting on the bluestone gradually curled up, the knuckles were already red with cold, and the look of bowing his head and half kneeling was a bit lonely and pitiful.
Yu Lingxi sighed in resignation and softened her tone: "Forget it, get up; don't do this in the future."
Ning Yin stood up, as she said, and stood aside.
There is thin frost and snow on his eyelashes, fragile and beautiful, and he doesn't know how long he has been sweeping in the cold.
He is a "passer-by" who temporarily lives in the mansion to recuperate from his injuries. Naturally, no one will take him into consideration for such a lively scene as receiving awards during the New Year.
Yu Lingxi took the lantern from Hu Tao's hand, put the lamp on the bluestone road to warm the thin ice, and then told Hu Tao, "Go get some Tusu wine and hot food."
We can't let him celebrate the New Year, and he can't even drink a sip of hot wine.
Hutao Fuli went down to make arrangements.
Yu Lingxi didn't leave in a hurry, so she sat and rested by the railing under the porch.
After a while, the boy's deep and persistent voice came through the cold night wind: "I just want to repay Miss and make Miss happy."
Yu Lingxi was surprised, and her almond eyes glanced at the young man standing in front of the steps.
Just in time, the fireworks in the city shot up into the sky, exploding pieces of tea in the black and blue night sky.
At that moment, the thousands of lights and snow scenes in the city were overshadowed.
The vestibule was filled with congratulatory voices from servants and attendants. It was bustling, but Ning Yin's eyes could only see the darkness of night, and it was difficult to distinguish between light and darkness.
Yu Lingxi suddenly remembered that in his previous life, the Prince Regent's Mansion never celebrated the New Year and did not light lanterns.
When the city was full of lights and festoons and was very lively, only the palace was as quiet as a tomb, without even a red lantern or a peach charm.
The only brilliance in the whole New Year is probably the blood of unknown origin on Ning Yin's lower garment.
Once, Ning Yin was in a good mood and asked Yu Lingxi what he wanted in a drunken way.
How could Yu Lingxi dare to ask too much?
After thinking about it for a long time, I finally just made up a sentence: "I want to see the lanterns at the Lantern Festival."
Ning Yin bit her lower lip aggressively, licked off the blood on it, and said with a smile, "Okay".
But on the day of the Shangyuan Festival, what awaited them was the remnant party of the queen mother, who was obsessed with the little emperor's belt edict and joined forces with the eunuchs to elaborately create a Hongmen banquet for Ning Yin.
That night, blood flowed like a river in front of the imperial steps.
Ning Yin wiped off the blood from her fingertips, took Yu Lingxi up to the high platform of the palace wall, and waited for her to watch the most enthusiastic and profound "lantern show" in the whole capital.
It's just that it's not lanterns that are hanging on the pillars, but people.
One by one, the living civil and military courtiers were screaming and howling.
That was the first time Ning Yin killed someone in front of her. Yu Lingxi's face was as white as paper, and he will always remember his eyes at that time.
He smiled; his eyes reflected the fireworks burning from the "sky lantern", and he couldn't tell whether it was a **** in the sky or an evil spirit on earth.
Such desperate and crazy destruction is very different from the calm young man in front of him.
For some reason, Yu Lingxi's eyes glowed with the light of New Year's fireworks, and she felt a little bit moved.
If Ning Yin hadn't experienced those tribulations and betrayals, would he be different?
This thought was just like a ripple, and it was shaken out of her mind.
"Miss, the food is here." Hu Tao led the four servant girls and brought over a lot of hot wine and food.
Even a small stove for warming wine was brought along.
After setting up the food and wine, Yu Lingxi sat upright, cast a glance at the young man on the porch, pursed her lips, and said, "Come and sit."
There was obvious surprise in Ning Yin's eyes.
He walked up the stone steps slowly and stood in front of Yu Lingxi, but he still refused to sit down.
Seeing his cute and pitiful appearance, Yu Lingxi was heartbroken, so she stretched out her hand and forced him to sit on the railing bench.
She poured a cup of hot wine herself, sprinkled two spoonfuls of her favorite pepper powder, thought about it, and added another spoonful.
Then he handed the glass of wine full of sincerity to Ning Yin and said softly, "Drink."